It’s that time of year again! The cold weather is rolling in, the holidays are approaching, and gift lists are being written. ITS is happy to share our top picks for this season, just in time to shop the sales this weekend. If you have any questions about our recommendations, let us know! Click here for ITS contact information.
Joe Kalinowski, CIO and VP of ITS, uses the Yale Assure Lock 2 at his house and recommends it to anyone looking for simplified home security. This system connects to your Apple Wallet or the Yale Access app to lock and unlock doors. No more fumbling around for keys in the cold weather! The included keypad also allows you to create temporary, scheduled, or permanent codes connected to specific people. For example, if you’re out of town for the holidays and need the pet sitter to come check on your precious pooch or charming cat, you can assign them their own code which will expire on a set date. You can also view lock history, double-check your home is secure, and share access from anywhere, anytime. Click here to learn more about the Yale Assure Lock 2.
Joanne Dolan, the Director of Academic Technology and Client Support, has a nostalgic tech gift recommendation. For those who grew up playing on Gameboys or Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems, Super Mario Bros Wonder is a perfect way to rewind the clock this holiday season or introduce younger family members to Mario’s adventures. Featuring all the classic characters you know and love, multi-player support, and new kingdoms, Super Mario Bros Wonder is fun for the whole family. Available on Nintendo Switch. Click here to view a preview of the game.
Director of Infrastructure Jason Trinklein has the perfect gift recommendation for the retro tech enthusiast on your list: a Nixie tube clock! Nixie tubes are numerical display technology with a rich history: they were commonly used in science labs, ships, submarines, and other applications needing a numerical readout prior to the 1970s. Unique and eye-catching, these clocks are available in pre-assembled and do-it-yourself kits. Jason got his DIY kit through GRA & AFCH out of Ukraine. Click here to browse options from this company, and click here to learn more Nixie tubes.
Help Desk Coordinator Sharon Griffin-Edson is tired of her coffee going cold while she’s working, so this year she has the Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug on her wish list. This sleek, stylish mug comes with a charging coaster and an optional smart phone app to keep coffee (or your beverage of choice) hot for several hours. The mug also comes with auto-safety features so you can feel peace of mind while leaving it at your desk. Click here to learn more about the Ember mug!
Jarrod Evans, ITS’s Help Desk Technician and Best Buy expert, is hoping for a Coolify 2s this holiday season. This handy wearable device functions as a personal air conditioner in the summer and an electric scarf in the winter to keep you comfortable all year round. The Coolify 2s holds up to 28 hours of battery life and uses Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone app for easy, intuitive temperature adjustments. Click here to learn more about Coolify 2s.
Tess Walsh, the technology training specialist, has the Kindle Scribe on her wish list this year. A writer and reader at heart, Tess loves the dual functionality of the Scribe, which comes with a stylus for sketching and writing by hand. Perfect for those who love the engagement of annotating documents and the functionality of digital notes, the Scribe has a longer battery life and bigger screen than its predecessors. For the most bang for your buck, Tess recommends checking out the app Libby to borrow and read ebooks from your local library. The Goddard library also offers this ebooks and Libby – click here to check it out! Learn more about the Kindle Scribe by clicking here.